Random Musings of a Cop
by BubblyShell22
Summary: A series of one-shots about Aubree's thoughts and experiences throughout her life. Based on prompts I make up myself or prompts from my readers.
1. Chapter 1

Random Musings of a Cop

Chapter 1: The Art of Pooping and Farting

A/N: I acquired this idea at four in the morning after having a massive headache and not being able to sleep. I figured it's a good idea to have another story in case I have writer's block on Hide and Seek or something like that. This features Aubree Hennigan and is about her thoughts on certain things and conversations she has with those in her life. And, yes, the title of the first chapter came to me at four as well. Yes, it's weird, but that's the way it goes, right? I hope you enjoy this.

Summary: These are Aubree's thoughts and feelings about conversations and experiences she has in her life. Based on ideas that just pop into my head.

Disclaimer (This is the only time I'm doing this): I don't own the TMNT, who are owned by Nickelodeon Studios. I do own Aubree Hennigan and any other characters not associated with TMNT.

"Aubree, have you ever thought about why we poop?" Michelangelo asked me.

I looked at him in surprise. I was in the Turtles' Lair trying to make up for the movie night I'd had to miss due to work. "No, I never gave it much thought," I replied. "What, are you trying to make me puke or something?"

"No, it was just something I thought about," Mikey replied.

"Well, maybe you should ask Donnie about it," I told him. "I don't have the answer as to why we poop."

"Nah, I'll just tune him out," Mikey answered. "But I've always wondered about it. I mean, why is it that sometimes our poop comes out small and other times it comes out big?"

"Probably has to do with the amount of food we eat," I guessed. Why was he even having this conversation with me? It was so awkward.

"Yeah, maybe," Mikey mused. "And what about farting? Why is it that sometimes it smells worse than others?"

"Once again, it probably has to do with the food we eat," I replied. "I mean, when my brother Ben eats beans, you can smell him a mile away."

Mikey laughed. "That happens to me, too," he said. "It drives my bros crazy sometimes. They always know when I eat beans to steer clear of me. Hey, do women fart? I heard somewhere that they can't."

I laughed. "That's a myth," I told him. "I fart just as much as a guy does, though not as often."

"Oh, okay," Mikey said. "Hey can you make a farting sound with your armpit?"

"You know, I don't think I can," I told him. "I remember my brother David once did that and kept saying I was farting when I wasn't. I tried to get back at him by doing it, too, but I never could. Can you do that?"

"Yeah, I can," he said proudly, and he demonstrated. "Once, on April Fool's Day, I made a recording of my armpit noises and kept playing it when Raph was in the room. It was hilarious until he found the recorder and wanted to pound me into the ground. Luckily, Splinter intervened before he could do any damage. I got in trouble though for doing it."

I laughed. "I bet you did," I replied. "You remind me of my brothers. They always used to do stuff like that, too. Ben's always been good at pranks. He played a good one at the precinct this past year where he hid all of the case files we had and said that we'd had a break-in. Everyone was frantic for a while until Ben revealed what he'd done. He didn't get in trouble, but we had to watch out after that."

"Sounds like Ben is a pretty cool dude," Mikey mused. "You think I'll ever meet him?"

I sighed. "I don't know, Mikey," I replied. "I'd love to tell him about you guys, but I don't want anything happening to you. I'd have to talk to Master Splinter first to see what he thinks of it all. I just don't want to expose you right away like that."

"Yeah, that's true," Mikey answered. "But I think Ben would be cool about it. I mean, he seems like the kind of guy who would keep a secret his sister would tell him."

"Oh, he's loyal, there's no doubt about that," I responded. "But I just don't want him to get too freaked out. When the time is right, I'll let him know. I think you guys would get along well together. You have the same personality as him."

"What are your other brothers like?" Mikey asked. He looked almost like a little kid eager for a story before bedtime.

"Well, Greg's kind of like Donnie in a way," I replied. "He's really smart and creative, too. I think he wanted to do something with science, but the work was too hard for him. He's always been into filmmaking, and he decided that he'd change his major and go for a film degree. David's like Leo because he always wants to do the right thing. After Dad died, David decided to join the military because he wanted to fight for our country and do the right thing by avenging Dad's death. It gets hard sometimes to think he's not around and that he could die at any time. It's scary."

"And you're like Raph, right?" Mikey inquired.

I laughed. "Yep, I'm like Raph," I told him. "I'm rash, impulsive, reckless, and I have a potty mouth. Any other questions?"

Mikey shook his head. "Nope, I'm good," he said. "But if I have more, I'll let you know."

"Okay, kiddo," I said, ruffling his head. "I'll make sure to answer them." I looked at the clock. "Well, I'd better head home. I have work in the morning."

"When are you ever going to have a day off?" Mikey asked me.

"Whenever they schedule me with one," I said. "But I had a good time tonight, Mike. I hope we can do it again. It was nice being able to talk to you with no interruptions."

"Yeah, it was nice," he agreed. "You know, I always wanted a sister. I guess I can call you my sister, unless you want something more." He batted his eyes flirtatiously.

I laughed and playfully punched him on the shoulder. "No, I don't want any more," I replied. "I'd love for you to call me your sister if you want to."

"Well, if you marry Leo, you would be my sister-in-law," he reminded me.

"Michelangelo Hamato, since when did you get the idea that I'm going to marry Leo?" I demanded. "We don't like each other in that way. I've only just met you guys and see you as just friends."

"Okay, okay, it was just a thought," Mikey said, holding his hands up defensively. "But do you ever think you could have feelings for one of us?"

"I don't know," I told him. "I'm not thinking about that right now. To me, you're just friends I hang out with, Capiche?"

"Gotcha," Mikey replied. "Just friends and nothing more. Well, I'd better head to bed now before the guys come home."

"Yeah, I can't believe you didn't want to go to the junkyard with them," I said.

"Nah, I just wanted time to myself and my favorite sister," Mikey said. "I had fun, Aub. I hope we can do it again."

"Me, too," I said. "Wait, aren't you going to escort me home?"

Mikey slapped a palm on his forehead. "Oh, right," he said. "I can't make you wait for Leo to come home because I don't know when he's coming back."

"It's fine, Mikey," I said. "One day, I'm going to memorize the way to the Lair and come here by myself. But on the bright side, at least I don't have to be blindfolded anymore."

"Nope, you've earned our trust now," Mikey replied. "Let me get my disguise so I can walk you home properly and show Leo how it's SUPPOSED to be done."

"Hey, don't knock Leo for what he did," I chastised. "He was just being cautious like the ninja he is. Home, James." I've always wanted to say that ever since I heard it on TV once.

Mikey laughed and led me out of the Lair. As we walked we talked more about our lives and exchanged different jokes we'd heard from various people. I had to admit, it was fun spending time with him, and it made me feel better to be away from the stress of my job. I really hoped we'd be able to do this again sometime. Mikey was just a barrel of laughs and made me remember my earlier days before Dad died, and we were a happy family. I longed to go back to those days, but the reality was that I couldn't. I just had to live with what I had now and be happy that I had family and friends who cared about me.

Mikey walked me to my building and leaned in for a kiss. I could tell he was teasing me, so I gave him a kiss on the cheek. He groaned in disappointment, and I laughed at the look on his face. I squeezed his hand and wished him goodnight. He said the same and watched me walk into the lobby. I gave him one last smile and headed up to my apartment. As I got ready for bed, I couldn't help but be happy about meeting the Turtles. They were truly good friends who would do anything to help me. I only hoped that it would last.

A/N: So, that was definitely random. The beginning of the chapter was the conversation I thought of while lying awake, and the rest of it just came to me as I typed this. I'm not sure how many chapters this will be, but it's a good exercise for my brain. Please feel free to review and tell me what you think. Have a shelltastic day.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Too Similar

A/N: This is a little prompt I thought of myself. I don't want to give too much away, so I'll just get on with the story and explain it more in the end notes. I hope you enjoy it.

"I don't know why I ever thought I loved you!" I shouted at him. "This is never going to work."

"Hey, it's not my fault you've got a temper!" he retorted. "You just love to pick fights with me for the hell of it."

"Oh, I pick fights with you?" I retorted. "I'm not the one going out looking for fights every night! You're the one who's out of his mind."

"And what about you and your job?" he snapped. "You risk your life every day and expect me to sympathize with you. You should've just stayed at home instead of bein' a cop!"

"Hey, I did this in my father's memory!" I snarled.

"Yeah, well, he wouldn't think so much of you now!"

That was it. I hauled off and punched him in the face. He didn't back and down, and soon we were wrestling on the floor, punching, kicking, and biting. We kept hurling insults at each other, hoping that maybe we'd be able to one-up one another. It would've turned out worse if Don and Leo hadn't been there to pull us apart when they saw us fighting like that.

"Hey, Aubree, what's going on here?" Leo demanded.

"He started it!" I accused, pointing a finger in the offender's direction.

"No, you started it!" he retorted. "I swear, I can't deal with this anymore. I'm done. I don't know why I ever thought you were good lookin'. This ain't gonna work." He pulled away from Don's grip and stormed out of the Lair. Leo tried to call him back, but he ignored his brother.

"What was that all about?" Don wondered.

I sighed. "I guess we just can't be together," I said resignedly. "We're too much alike for it to ever work out."

"I'll say," Mikey piped up as he came from the kitchen, carrying a bowl of popcorn.

"What's that for?" Don asked.

"Well, I heard Aubree and Raph fighting and thought I'd whip up some food for the entertainment," he replied. "But I guess it's over now, huh?"

"Yeah, in more ways than one," I told him. "I just don't know why I ever thought we'd be good for each other."

"Well, it's kind of awkward," Mikey replied. "I mean, you two are alike, so it's almost like Raph's dating himself." He gave a shudder after he said that. "Man, that's kind of weird when you think about it."

"Yeah, it is," I answered. "Maybe I'm better off just being single."

"Just give it time, Aubree," Leo urged me. "When the right one comes along, you'll know."

"And in the meantime, I'd better take a look at your injuries," Don told me. "They don't look too good."

I didn't want him to, but I knew that if I fought him, it would make things worse, so I went into the infirmary and had him look at my wounds. They definitely weren't good, but Don was able to patch me up as best I could. Leo wanted to go after Raph, but Don thought it would be best to give Raph some space. So, Leo took me home instead, which was a relief to me. He told me not to worry and that Raph would cool down when he was ready to. I thanked him and went into my apartment to reflect on everything that had happened.

When I first met Raph, I always thought he was the one. We were alike, and I thought that maybe we'd have a better understanding of each other. For a little while, it went great, but then we began to clash more and more. There were more fights between us, and I didn't know what else to do. Both of us were too high strung and stubborn. I guess now I've realized that it would never work out, but it sucked to have your worst fears confirmed. I showered, got into bed, and tried to sleep. But before I dozed off, I asked myself the question that had never come to my mind until now.

Why did I ever fall in love with Raphael?

A/N: Basically, I wanted to explore the scenario of Aubree falling in love with Raph, who's just like her. We see so many stories about OCs who are just like the Turtles and who fall in love with them. So, I decided to put a different spin on it and show that it may not work the way many of us want it to. I know I shouldn't have had them fight like that, but I can picture it happening. I'm not saying Raph was abusive to her or anything during the relationship because he wasn't. They mostly had verbal fights, and this was really their first physical confrontation, which pretty much cemented the fact that this wouldn't work out between them. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. Have a shelltastic day.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Guilty Parties

A/N: This prompt was a request by AlexHamato. She wanted to see Aubree interrogate the boys for something, so here you go, Alex. I also want to thank AlexHamato for being nice enough to review this little story. Thanks a million. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

I stood in the interrogation room and glared at the two guilty parties who were sitting in the two chairs opposite me. I've interviewed a lot of suspects before, but I've never had to interview two mutant turtles who were trained in ninjitsu. It boggled my mind how these two managed to do what they did and still get caught at it. Weren't they supposed to disappear without a trace? I had a feeling this wasn't going to bode well for them.

"Okay, tell me again what happened," I prodded.

Michelangelo smiled. "Well, me and Don were going out for some peace and quiet. We began to play a game of Truth or Dare, which was pretty funny. So, I dared Don to hotwire Karai's limo. We saw it standing outside of a building, and we knew it was hers because we'd seen her get out of it. Don didn't want to do it, but I kept begging him to until he gave in. Then I upped the dare and said that we should show the baby off. I mean, how many opportunities do you get to ride in a limo. So, Don hotwired the limo, and we took off. It was so cool."

"But then Mikey decided we needed to go faster than the normal speed limit," Don added. "I didn't want to, but he kept cajoling me to do so. Everything seemed okay until a dog ran out in the road. I didn't want to hit the poor thing, so I swerved, and we hit a light pole."

"We were going to vanish like the ninja we are, but the airbags had gone off, and we were kinda trapped," Mike chimed in. "So, we had to wait for the police to get there and help us out."

I sighed. When were these guys ever going to learn? "Okay, you do realize that stealing is a crime, right?" I asked them.

"Yeah, we know that," Mikey said. "It was just a dare though. We didn't mean to crash the limo."

"And we're really sorry," Don added. "We'll pay Karai back if that's what she wants."

"I'm not sure if that's what she wants," I told him. "You could go to jail for this, you know."

Mikey's eyes widened. "Oh, please, no!" he whined. "Anything but that! Have you ever seen Beyond Scared Straight? Some of those inmates are scary. They'll eat us alive!"

"You should've thought of that before you stole a car," I lectured. "Don, you're supposed to be one of the level-headed ones. Why on earth did you go along with Mikey's dare?"

"Because if you don't take a Dare, then you have to reveal a secret about yourself," Don replied. "It's our rule."

I sighed in exasperation. "So, why didn't you just reveal the damn secret?" I asked him.

"Because it's nobody's business what my secret is," Don replied.

"Okay, I'm going to see if I can talk to Karai and get her to drop the charges," I told them. "Maybe she'll be nice about it. I just don't understand why you'd want to do this to her when you have a truce with the woman. Be prepared for that truce to go out the window, boys. You may have really messed up." I left the room and saw Karai standing by the two-way mirror with Chief Thompson and Ben.

"I heard your interrogation," Karai told me. "I must say they have a knack for getting into trouble."

"Tell me about it," I moaned. "Do you want to press charges?"

"That will not be necessary," Karai replied. "However, I will expect them to do some labor for me every day until they pay off the damages to the limousine."

"Well, if that's your decision, Miss Oroku, we can probably work something out," Chief Thompson said. "Those boys should count their blessings. But why are they dressed like turtles?"

"Um, they were going to a costume party and decided to play a game of Truth or Dare," I explained.

"Oh," Chief Thompson said. "Well, make sure they get home safely, Hennigan. I don't want them causing any more trouble. And make sure you tell them that if they do anything like this again, they will go to jail."

"I will, sir," I said.

Ben smiled. "Man, you get some crazy assignments, sis," he commented. "It looks like you know these guys though."

"I do, but I can't explain it now," I told him. "I'll tell you another time when I'm in the mood. Right now, I have to take two boys home to a very pissed off older brother and a pissed off father. See you later."

"Okay, see you," Ben said.

When he was gone, Karai said to me, "Just to be clear, the truce has not been lifted. I will not seek vengeance on the others for Donatello's and Michelangelo's folly."

"Thank you, Karai," I said. "I'm sure Leo will appreciate that."

"Yes, he will," Karai agreed. "Tell him that he and his family are welcome to stop by any time for dinner if they wish."

"I will," I promised. "Goodbye, Karai. Have a safe trip home."

"Thank you, Miss Hennigan," she replied. "I will."

I took the boys out of the interrogation room and put them in my car. I wanted to lecture them more but figured that Leo and Splinter would do enough of that once the two scalawags came back. I wondered about Don's secret and what he could be hiding, but I didn't want to press him for it. More than likely, it really wasn't anything. Once we arrived at the Lair, all hell broke loose. Leo shouted at them for a half hour about secrecy and exposure. Then they went in Splinter's room and got pretty much the same lecture as well as fifty flips. I told Leo and Splinter exactly what Karai wanted them to do, and they agreed it was a suitable punishment.

"So, Karai still has a truce with us?" Leo asked me.

"Yeah, she said she won't seek vengeance on you guys for what Mikey and Donnie did," I told him. "She also said you're welcome to dinner if you want to come over."

"Well, that's a relief," Leo said. "At least no major harm has come out of this."

"Yes, I agree," Splinter replied. "Michelangelo, you should know better than to play such a foolish game while out on the surface. And, Donatello, the next time that you are asked to take such a foolish dare, you should refuse."

"But, Sensei, he would've revealed my secret!" Don protested.

"And what secret is that?" Splinter inquired.

Don gulped. "Okay, okay, I secretly have a crush on Eva Longoria," he said. "I mean, she's really good looking."

Splinter gave a heavy sigh. "Kids," he groaned.

"Tell me about it," I added. "Well, I have to go now and get back to work. Just promise me you'll never do anything like this again."

"We promise," Don and Mikey replied.

"Good," I told them. As I exited the Lair and headed back up to the surface, I said to myself, "Thank karma I'm not going to have kids."

A/N: Well, that's the end of that chapter. I hope you liked it, Alex. Feel free to leave a review and to make requests yourself. I'll be happy to do them. Have a shelltastic day!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Art of Feminine Problems

A/N: Hello again. This little one-shot is in response to a challenge issued by Laughter's Tears on the Stealthy Stories forums. She issued the challenge to have the Turtles go out and buy feminine products. So, here's my response to the challenge featuring Leo and Aubree. As a rule, I usually have Aubree tell the whole story, but for this one, I'm having it split into first and third person perspective. Enjoy.

I woke up to severe cramps. It felt like someone was punching me in the stomach, and I knew my period had arrived. Luckily I had prepared myself for it and had on two pads. I hurried into the bathroom to change only to discover that there were only two pads left in both boxes. As a rule, I would normally have two pads on because just having one wasn't enough. Sighing in frustration, I did what I needed to do and then left the bathroom. While I could've gone myself to get the items, the cramps were too severe for me to leave. I was glad this was my day off because I wasn't in the mood to deal with worthless punks. The only option I had was to call the guys and ask if one of them would do it.

I quickly got my cell phone out and dialed Leo's number since it was the one I could remember. There were two rings before he picked up.

"Hello?" he said.

"Hey, Leo, it's Aubree," I said. "Um, I need you to do me a favor."

"Okay, what is it?" Leo asked.

"I need you to go to the store and get me some feminine products," I answered.

"Feminine products?" he repeated. "Uh, I don't know what you mean."

"I mean stuff women use when they're on their period," I replied. "You do know what a period is, right?"

"Yeah, Donnie told me all about that," Leo answered.

"Well, I'm out of stuff, and I need it," I told him. "Could you do that for me?"

"Why can't you go?" Leo asked me.

"Because I have severe cramps, and I can barely move," I responded. "Please, Leo, this is the only thing I'll ever ask you to do. You can do this as a friend, right?"

I heard him sigh. "Yeah, I can do this," he said. "I'll go right now and be at your apartment in no time."

"Thanks, you're a life saver," I said graciously.

22222

"So, what was that about?" Raph asked after Leo hung up the phone.

"Aubree wants me to go out and get feminine products for her," Leo replied, a blush tinting his cheeks.

Raph burst out laughing. "Oh, man, you're in for it now!" he said. "That's suicide for a man. You should hear Casey talk about doin' that for April. It's one of the worst things a man can go through."

Leo bristled. "I think I can handle it, Raph!" he snapped. "How hard can it be?"

He found out how hard it was when he arrived at the store. He was heavily disguised and had permission from Splinter to be out because it was an emergency. He looked down different aisles to see if he could spot what Aubree wanted. Where the shell could it be? He'd have to ask someone. He spotted a woman who was stocking dog food and went up to her. Maybe she'd know.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but could you tell me where the feminine products are?" Leo asked her.

"Sure, they're in aisle six next to the adult diapers," she responded in a cheerful voice.

Elated that he now knew the location of the products, he hurried to aisle six and then stopped dead. There were so many brands, he didn't know what to look for. Kotex, Tampax, Stayfree, Always. There were pads with wings, pads without wings, and even tampons. Not only that, but there were different types for different periods. There were products for heavy flow and products for small flow. How the shell was he going to know what she wanted? He had to call her. He dialed her number and let it ring three times before she picked up.

"Yeah, Leo, what is it?" she asked.

"Um, which brand do you get?" he asked. "There are so many here, I don't know what to get you."

"Well, I usually get two types," she replied. "I get Always brand maxi pads with wings, the overnight type. They're in a dark green package. I think there's twenty-eight in there. Then I get the Stayfree regular pads, and I think there's forty-eight in that one. It's in a purple package. You can't miss it."

"Okay, thanks," Leo said. He found the items she'd requested and hurried to the checkout line. He was stuck behind a woman with a squalling baby, but that wasn't the problem he had. In front of the mother, he noticed a familiar hulking shape and a blond ponytail. No, Hun couldn't possibly be here now! He was so glad he was disguised and hoped that Hun wouldn't notice him. Luckily, Hun paid for his stuff (Who would have thought he'd do that?) and moved on. Then the mother paid for her purchases and left, leaving Leo to pay for the things he had in his hand.

"You find everything okay?" the cashier asked him.

"Yes, I did," Leo replied.

"Good," she said. She gave him the total, and he paid for the items. Then he took the plastic bag and hurried out of the store as fast as he could go. He was thankful it was daytime and that no Foot Ninjas were around. What if he'd had to fend off an attack while carrying maxi pads? The thought made him laugh a little at the very idea, and he kept laughing all the way to Aubree's apartment.

22222

I heard the knock on the door and got off the couch to answer it. Leo was there with the items in his hand. I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Leo," I said. "You really are a life saver. I'm so glad you found the stuff."

"Yeah, it wasn't easy," Leo replied. "I really have to hand it to you girls. You know more about this stuff than men like us do."

"Yeah, we do," I said. "Trust me, you wouldn't want to be in my shoes for anything."

"I'm sure I wouldn't," he replied. "Anyway, it's no problem that I was able to help you. However, you owe me for this one."

I laughed. "What did you have in mind?" I teased.

Leo smiled. "Next time we have a movie night, I'm picking the movie," he said. "And you have to let me teach you some ninjitsu moves."

"Okay, deal," I said. I had refused to learn any ninjitsu because I felt it would compromise with my cop training. Plus, it just didn't interest me, but now I had no choice. I guess that's the price you pay for having your guy friend get you maxi pads.

22222

"So, how'd it go?" Raph asked when Leo arrived back at the Lair.

Leo thought about bragging about how it was no big deal and how he'd handled it with ease, but he knew he couldn't lie to his brother like that. "Honestly, it was the worst thing I've ever had to do," he replied.

"Even worse than getting attacked by Shredder's Foot Ninjas," Mikey chimed in.

"Yes, even worse than that," Leo responded.

"Well, now you can appreciate how hard it is for women to go through all of that," Don said.

"Trust me, my respect for them has doubled," Leo told him.

"Well, I am glad that Miss Henningan has the items she requested," Splinter said. "It was a good thing you offered to go and get the items for her. There is a valuable lesson to be learned from this."

"And what's that, Sensei?" Leo asked.

"Always remember to never refuse a woman during her time of the month," Splinter said. "It will always end in consequences. Mr. Jones should be the example of that."

Raph laughed. "Yeah, I remember when he refused April, she belted him one," he said. "You better hope Aubree doesn't do that to you, Leo."

"I don't think she will," Leo said. "But if I ever have to do that again, she's going to owe me one every time. I wouldn't go through that again for anything."

"While I can understand your plight, my son, I do not think Aubree owes you anything for such a deed," Splinter said. "You are a true friend, and you did what you did because you knew she could not go herself. Sometimes we must do things we are uncomfortable with because life demands that we do. I assure you that I did not want to clean up your messes before you were trained to use the bathroom, but I did so because I had to. Do you understand, my son?"

"Yes, Sensei, but I still don't like it," Leo said. He made a note to write down the brands Aubree requested just in case he had to do this again. And no matter what Splinter said, Leo was still going to make Aubree pay for putting him in such an uncomfortable situation.

A/N: So, that's the end of that chapter. I had a lot of fun writing this, and I hope you had fun reading it. Feel free to leave me a review. Have a shelltastic day. And I want to reiterate that having your period sucks. Men have no idea how lucky they are. They truly don't.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Stupid Internet

A/N: I'm back with another one-shot. This one's based on the troubles I've been having with my Internet lately, and I thought it would be a good idea for Aubree to have the same trouble. So, here goes.

"Gah, stupid Internet!" I snarled. I had been trying to log onto the Internet so that I could e-mail a report to the Chief about one of my cases. Every time I tried to do it, it would kick me off. I tried to take a deep breath and started it up again. It logged on just fine, and I clicked the icon for my homepage. It loaded slowly and then came up with the response, "Internet Explorer cannot display webpage." I checked my Internet USB, and it was lighting up like I got disconnected. I checked the Internet icon and saw that I was still connected. How could that happen?

"Having trouble?" a voice asked me.

I whirled around to see Leo staring at me. "Yes, I am," I said. "This damn thing won't work for me. I've tried so many times, and I can't seem to log on."

"Do you want me to call Donnie over here?" he asked. "Maybe he'll know what's wrong."

"Yeah, do that," I said. I was determined to get this report to Chief so I didn't get my ass handed to me.

So Leo called Donnie and told him what was up. Twenty minutes later, Don came to my window and saw what was wrong.

"Hmm, that's odd," he said. "Your computer shouldn't do that. Maybe you should shut it down, unplug your Internet USB, and unplug the computer. Then re-plug everything in and try again. Sometimes I have to do that, too."

So, I did as Don said and booted up again. I connected to the Internet and booted up my homepage, but the same response kept coming up. Don asked me to do it again, and I did. This time when I booted up, everything was fine. How weird was that?

"That was weird," I said. "What do you make of it, Don?"

"I honestly don't know," Don said. "Maybe they're having problems with the signal or something. If this happens again, you know what to do. And if it doesn't work, just call me, okay?"

"You got it, Don," I said. "Thanks."

I clicked on my e-mail and sent my report to Chief, hoping it would get there in time. Then I got off the computer and watched a movie with Leo and Don. As I did so, I managed to calm down and not lose my cool. Both of them were fun to be around, and I really liked spending time with them.

The next day, Chief called me into his office. I entered and could see that he wasn't happy with me about something, though I wasn't sure what it was. I figured maybe he was just having one of those days and that he was taking it out on everyone in the precinct today.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" I asked.

"Yeah, I never got your report, Hennigan," he said.

"How can that be?" I asked. "I sent it yesterday."

"I don't know, but it's not here," he said.

"I had a friend help me with my computer," I told him. "I was having problems yesterday, and he helped me fix it. When I sent the e-mail, it stated that it had been sent to you."

"Well, it never got through," Chief said.

"Great," I moaned. "Well, I can try and send it from here if you want."

"Yeah, you do that," Chief said.

So, I went to one of the computers and tried to load it up. Just as I thought it would work that stupid message, "Internet Explorer cannot display webpage" came up. Releasing a growl, I clicked out and tried again, but it didn't work.

"Chief, this isn't working," I said. "The computer must be down."

Brad came by then. "Yeah, they're down for now," he said. "We're bringing someone in to look at them, but it looks like they'll be down for a while."

"Stupid Internet," I muttered.

"Don't worry about it, Hennigan," Chief said. "Just get that report to me whenever you can. We all have our fair share of problems with the Internet. Sometimes it's a blessing, and sometimes it's a curse."

"Thanks, Chief," I said. "Sometimes, I just hate the Internet."

As it turned out, the computers were down for four days, and my laptop at home continued to act weird for one more day. Then, on the third day, I managed to get it working again and sent my report. I got a reply from Chief saying that he'd received it, which made me glad. I guess I'll just never understand the complexities of the Internet and why it doesn't work sometimes. One thing's for sure, I really hate it when it doesn't work the way it's supposed to. It just makes me pissed off.

Stupid Internet.

A/N: Yeah, maybe not the longest one-shot, but I was feeling frustrated with what was happening to me. I have a laptop and a USB type Internet connection, and it was pretty much doing what Aubree's was doing. So, that's why I wrote this. If it keeps on doing this, I'm going to scream. I mean it. Hopefully things will be resolved though. I think it's because we keep having high winds here, and maybe that's affecting the towers around here. However, it still sucks. Feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Trick Or Treat

A/N: Yeah, I know I haven't posted chapters for this story in a while, but this bunny came to me, and I decided to go with it in the spirit of Halloween. I really hope that everybody out there will have a safe and happy Halloween if you're doing anything. I'm just staying home and watching House and wrestling like I always do. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

Ah, Halloween. The one night of the year where everyone dresses up and collects candy. The night where you can pretend to be someone you're not. I used to love Halloween and always enjoyed going trick-or-treating with my brothers. We'd think of some silly costumes and just go out and have fun. Sometimes my brothers would pull pranks such as smashing pumpkins or putting toilet paper in trees. I never joined in that because I wasn't into it. Ben and I would usually go by ourselves and have fun while David and Greg played the pranks. We never ratted on them though because we knew if we did, they'd find out and get us back.

But now, things have changed. This year on Halloween instead of going out and getting candy, I had to work the night shift as a police officer, along with my brother Ben. Working with my brother wasn't too bad because I really enjoyed hanging out with him. The thing I didn't like was dealing with some of the crazy people who came out on nights like this.

Ben smiled as he drove down the street. "Kind of like old times, huh, sis?" he asked.

"Yeah, except this time we have to work," I replied. "I swear, Halloween is the one night of the year where the crazy people come out at night."

"Yeah, that and the full moon," Ben remarked. "But, hey, that's a good thing for us. It means more money in our paychecks."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," I said. At least something good had to come out of this. Pretty soon, we had our first call which involved a group of drunk kids who were putting toilet paper on trees.

"Man, David and Greg would have a field day with those kids," Ben told me. "Remember how they used to do stuff like that?"

"Yeah, and we couldn't rat on them because they'd get us back if we did," I recalled. "But at least we weren't cops back then. If we encountered our brothers doing this now, we'd have to arrest them."

"I hear you there," Ben replied. "Let's get this over with." He and I stepped out of the car and walked over to the kids.

"We received a complaint from some neighbors that you were causing trouble out here," I began in my most authoritative voice. Although I wanted to laugh at the poor job the kids had done to the trees, I knew that I couldn't. "What's going on?"

"Ain't nothin' goin' on, man," one of the kids said. "We're jus' havin some fun out here. Ain't that what this holiday is all about?"

"Yes, but you can't go putting toilet paper on peoples' trees without their permission," Ben said. "I'm going to have to ask you to step over by the car. Have you been drinking tonight?"

"I only had one beer, man," the kid said.

"You've had a lot more than that," Ben replied. "Come over here."

I tried to round up some of the other kids, but one of them bolted. "Shit," I cursed. I called for backup to assist me with the other kids while I ran after the other one. He was pretty fast, but I was able to really get some momentum until he ran into a crowd of trick-or-treaters. Determined to corner him, I politely eased my way into the crowd with my eyes still fixed on my quarry. With a leap, I managed to tackle him to the ground, but we collided with another person. I slapped the cuffs on the kid and hauled him up then looked around for the person I'd hit.

"Hey, Aubree!" a familiar voice said. "I didn't expect to see you here!"

Oh, great, Mikey was here. I turned and saw that Don, Raph, and Leo were also there. Terrific. Just what I needed while on duty.

"Hi, Mikey," I said. "I'm kind of on duty right now. Why are you guys out here?"

"Oh, just getting some candy," Mikey said. "It is the one night of the year where we can come out after all." Raph smacked Mikey upside the head for that comment.

"Why's that, man?" the kid asked.

"Look, I'd love to stay and chat, but I really need to take care of this kid," I told them. "I'll stop by tomorrow, and you can share some of your candy with me."

Mikey grinned. "Hey, no problem, Aubree," he said. "Can we come with you to the jail? I've only seen them on TV."

"No, you can't come with me to the jail," I replied. "Just continue to do what you're doing. I'll see you tomorrow. I have to go to Ben now and make sure he got the other kids."

Mikey's face lit up. "Oh, is Ben here, too?" he asked. "Hey, I want to meet him. You promised to introduce us to him."

I sighed in frustration. Why did I have to run into them? "Okay, you can come with me to meet Ben," I said. "However, it's going to be brief as we have work to do, got it?"

Mikey saluted. "Got it," he said.

I led them to where my car was with the kid struggling and whining about the injustice of it all. Raph offered to permanently shut the kid up, but I declined that offer, telling him to be nice and to let me handle it. There was no way I was letting Raph handle this kid.

Ben smiled as he saw me approach. "Hey, sis, I was wondering what took you so long," he teased. "Nice catch." Then he noticed the Turtles. "Hey, who are your friends?"

"Remember how I told you about the guys who saved me after I got jumped by Rosolli's gang?" I asked him.

"Yeah, I remember," he said.

"Well, these are the ones who saved me," I said. "Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo, I'd like you to meet my brother, Ben Hennigan. Ben, I'd like you to meet my rescuers."

"Nice to meet you," Ben said as he shook hands with them. "Hey, awesome costumes. Where'd you get them?"

Mikey was about to respond when Raph slapped a hand over his mouth. Leo, sensing that it would be a tense situation, answered, "Mikey came up with them. He's very creative."

"Oh, cool," Ben said. "Well, thanks for saving my sister's life. Maybe we could hang out sometime."

"Yeah, maybe," Leo said guardedly. "It was nice meeting you."

"Likewise," Ben said. After they left, he turned to me. "Those guys are pretty cool, sis," he said. "You hang out with them often?"

"Sometimes," I admitted. "They're pretty cool though." I wasn't going to tell Ben of their true identity just yet. There would be time for that later. Besides, I had a feeling they wouldn't be hanging out with Ben anytime soon until Splinter gave his permission.

After we dropped the kids off at the jail, we headed back out for another call. This one involved a man urinating in a public place. Once again, the suspect bolted, and I took off after him. I tackled him to the ground and once again bumped into someone while doing it. I slapped the cuffs on the guy and pulled him to his feet.

"I'm so sorry," I said to whoever I bumped into.

"It's okay, Aubree," the familiar voice said. "I like running into you like this."

Once again, I'd bumped into Mikey. I could swear he was playing a trick on me by being in the same vicinity as me again. There was no way this was a coincidence. "Are you following me?" I demanded.

Mikey put on an innocent face. "Me? Follow you?" he said. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Well, you are in the same vicinity as me again," I said. "I figured you would want to go home by now."

Then Leo came hurrying up to us. "Mikey, stop following Aubree around," he chastised. "We need to get home."

Ha! Busted!

Mikey made his sad face. "But Leo, I'm having fun," he whined. "Why can't I hang out with Aubree some more?"

"Because we need to go," Leo replied. "Sorry about this, Aubree. I promise he won't bother you again."

"Thanks, Leo," I said. "See you later." I hurried away as fast as I could and made sure Mikey wasn't following me. I got back to the car where Ben was grinning at me.

"Took a detour, sis?" he teased.

"No, I ran into Mikey again," I complained. "He's been following me all along. Luckily, Leo was able to take him home before he did any more damage."

"Well, that's good," Ben said. "I have to admit, that Mikey seems kind of weird to me. They all kind of do, but I still like them. Don't you see that in them?"

"Yeah, I do," I said. "But they're really good guys when it comes down to it."

"Why did Raphael stop Mikey from talking?" Ben asked.

Damn, I was hoping Ben hadn't noticed that. "Um, because Mikey is a chatterbox and can get annoying," I hurriedly explained.

Ben accepted that. "Oh, I see," he said. "Well, I'd love to hang out with them sometime. Let me know when you go over there, okay?"

"Okay," I said. Yeah, I'd let him know all right after Splinter deemed him trustworthy that is.

"We'd better get back to work," Ben remarked.

"Yay," I said sarcastically. Then I smiled. "Hey, do you think that maybe we could try and get some candy later? It'll be like old times."

"Sure," Ben said. "I'm sure people would love to give us candy."

And that's exactly what we did after our shift was over. It was so much fun, and people actually gave us candy to eat. I knew that, sooner or later, I'd have to tell Ben the truth about the Turtles, but for now, I was happy just hanging out with my brother like we used to do. Suddenly, Halloween wasn't so bad after all.

A/N: Well, that's it for that chapter. I hope you liked it. Please feel free to leave a review after you've finished reading. Have a shelltastic Halloween.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Katas

A/N: I know it's taken me a bit to get this chapter out, but I've had other stories to do as well. I want to thank those who have read and reviewed this story so far. Your encouragement and kind words have really helped me in continuing to tell this story. Thanks a million. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. This prompt was requested by Eclectic Me who wanted to see Leo teaching Aubree some katas. Therefore, I have decided to honor that request. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

At first, I didn't want to learn any ninjitsu from Leo because I already knew a bit of self-defense, and I didn't want our sessions to compromise my job. Leo seemed to understand that and didn't inquire further about it after that first time. However, Mikey was a different story. He came up to my apartment one night just as I was getting ready to watch wrestling. I didn't think it was unusual since the Turtles had been coming to see me a lot since they rescued me from those Purple Dragons.

"Hey, Mikey, want to watch wrestling with me?" I asked.

"Sure," he said. "But that's not why I came over here."

"Oh?" I asked raising an eyebrow. "Then why are you here?"

"Well, remember when Leo was asking if you'd learn ninjitsu from him, and you refused him?" Mikey asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, I remember," I replied. "What of it?"

"Well, I was wondering if maybe you'd changed your mind," he answered. "I mean, Leo's a really good teacher, and Master Splinter would be helping you, too. I just think it would be a good opportunity for you two to spend more time together."

I could tell where Mikey was going with this, and I didn't like it. In his mind Leo and I were an item and really loved each other even though that was far from the truth. He felt that the two of us could benefit by spending more time together and that maybe it would spark more romance between us.

"Mikey, for the last time, there's nothing going on between me and Leo," I told him. "We're just friends."

"I know that, Aubree," he said. "I just think that you could benefit from Leo's teachings."

I smiled. "Oh, I see, and this wouldn't have to do with a certain orange-banded Turtle who misses a certain cop and wants to see her more often?" I inquired.

"Okay, it could have a bit to do with that," Mikey answered. "So, will you do it?"

I wanted to say no, but Mikey gave me his infamous puppy-dog eyes that Leo had warned me about. According to him, nobody could resist the puppy-dog eyes with the exception of Master Splinter. I sighed, knowing that I was probably going to regret my decision at once.

"Well, okay, I'll do it," I replied.

Mikey gave an excited squeal and gave me a crushing hug. "Oh, thank you, Aubree!" he cried. "I knew you would do it!"

"Okay, okay, Mikey," I said. "Now, can you please let go of me?"

Mikey did so and hurried to the kitchen. "You got anything good to eat?" he asked.

"I have some Doritos Cool Ranch chips if you want," I offered. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"Yeah, but I can get it myself," he replied. He rummaged in my cabinet for a glass. I heard him pouring the soda into the glass, and he even poured one for me, too. Then he retrieved the chips and the two glasses full of soda. I was amazed that he could carry all of it.

"Need any help?" I asked him.

He shook his head and carried it all to me. Then he sat down beside me, opened up the bag of chips, and offered it to me first. I smiled and took a handful. I was glad that he had come to keep me company. We watched wrestling and had a lot of fun cheering for our favorite wrestlers and booing the ones we didn't like. We made predictions on the matches and who would win each one. It was a lot of fun for me, and I was laughing a lot that night. It was just a good way to wind down from my job.

When Mikey was ready to leave, he said, "Now don't forget, you said you'd let Leo teach you. So you can't back out of it."

"I won't, Mikey," I promised. "I'll be there whenever Leo wants me to be there."

He nodded and left. I cleaned up our mess and got ready for bed. I wasn't sure what would happen when I did go down for my first lesson. I had a feeling Mikey would tease me to no end about us being in love. I decided the best thing to do was to ignore him and just focus on the lesson. Leo had often told me how focus was important in ninjitsu, and I knew that I'd have to do my very best to stay focused so I would know what I was doing.

So, on my day off from work, I headed to the Lair for my first lesson in ninjitsu. I decided to wear a white tank top, workout pants, and sneakers. When I arrived Mikey wolf-whistled at my attire. I just glared at him and headed to the dojo where Leo and Splinter were waiting for me. I was afraid Mikey was going to stay to observe our lesson, but he went to the row of televisions and began playing a video game at low volume, much to my relief.

"Hey, Aubree, I'm glad you could make it," Leo said. "Now, first you have to bow to the dojo in respect." He and Splinter stepped out of the dojo and demonstrated the way I was to bow. I copied them, and they nodded in approval.

"Very good, Miss Hennigan, Splinter praised. "Now, first we will be showing you some basic moves such as kicking and punching. Leonardo, if you would demonstrate."

Leo did as Splinter said and demonstrated a punch. He showed me a few times, and then I was asked to copy him. I was a bit clumsy at first, but I soon learned the proper way to do the move. After that, Leo showed me how to kick while Splinter observed us. I had a feeling that Leo was going to do most of the teaching while Splinter was a chaperone of sorts. I had a feeling Splinter wanted to make sure that nothing happened between the teacher and the student. As I was later to learn, this wasn't the case at all. Splinter merely wanted to observe our lessons and see how I progressed.

Leo then directed me to the punching bag set up in the corner of the dojo and instructed me to attack using the katas he had shown me. I did so and found that it was a great tool to learn on. I wondered if I could install one in my apartment to use when I wasn't practicing with them. I was sure Raph could hook me up.

When the lesson was over, Leo led me in some cool down stretches and then advised that I meditate to clear my mind of distractions. He said that it would really help me and that maybe I could do it after work as well. I found that meditating was actually really cool, though I did have some trouble with it at first. We decided to set up my practice schedule around my work schedule. If I worked during the day, I would have practice at night before the guys went on patrol. If I worked at night, I'd have practice during the day. I figured it was a good way for me to let out stress and energy, and tI could tell Leo was happy that I was even permitting him to teach me.

"So, what did you think?" Mikey asked me after my session was over.

"I think he's a good teacher," I replied. "He really knows his stuff."

"Yeah, he does," Mikey agreed. "I told you it would work out."

"You were right about that," I said. "Thanks, Mikey."

Leo escorted me home after we both took showers. We talked about different subjects not related to our lesson and had a good time as well. Leo was just an awesome friend, and I was lucky to be with someone so nice.

In the weeks that followed, my lessons became more intense, and I soon found that although ninjitsu was interesting, it could be frustrating too. There were times where Leo corrected my stances and the way I was doing the moves that annoyed me to no end. I got extremely frustrated with him one day and just stormed out of the dojo, not pausing to bow in respect when I left. I could hear someone following me, but I didn't bother to look back.

"Leo, just go away!" I snapped. "I don't want to talk to you right now!"

"Sorry about that," a voice said, and I knew it wasn't Leo. I stopped and let Raph catch up to me.

"I know it can get annoyin' at times," he said. "That's why Leo and I often fight with each other. Sensei's yelling at him to not be so harsh with you because you're still learnin'."

I sighed. "I guess I shouldn't have stormed out like that," I replied. "Leo was only trying to be a good teacher. I'd better go back and apologize to him."

"No, he should apologize to you," Raph corrected. "You don't have to be sorry for bein' frustrated. I know how that feels."

"Well, I'm still going to apologize for my behavior," I answered. "It's only right."

So, I went back to the Lair and apologized to Leo for my behavior. "I really shouldn't have stormed out like that," I said. "It was stupid of me."

"No, I should apologize, Aubree," he replied. "I was too harsh with you. I have to remember that you're still learning. Please forgive me."

I smiled. "Yeah, I forgive you," I said. "Do you forgive me?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I do," he said.

"Good," I replied. "Then we're good to go."

After that incident, things became better for both of us. I really enjoyed learning from him, and I could tell he enjoyed teaching me. As it turned out his lessons came in handy when I took down a robber who was trying to get away. I used one of the moves Leo taught me and brought the robber down quickly. After he was taken into custody, Ben asked me, "Where'd you learn that move, Aub?"

I smiled. "From a good friend of mine," I answered. Then I told Ben all about how Leo was teaching me martial arts. He thought it was cool and wondered if maybe Leo would teach him, too. I said I'd have to ask him and see if he would, but I wasn't sure. I really didn't want to expose Ben to them like that just yet. Sure, he'd met them before, but he still didn't know who they were, and I wasn't sure how he'd take that. So, I decided to think about it and then talk to Leo to see what he thought of the matter. I had a feeling that Ben would be an interesting student and that he would learn a lot from Leo.

As it turned out, Leo was excited about the idea but a bit wary about letting Ben into the Lair. I assured him that Ben would keep the secret and that he was a trustworthy person. So the next day, Ben was allowed to come to the Lair and to start lessons. He promised not to say anything about who the Turtles actually were and took the news even better than I did.

"You guys are mutants?" he asked. "Cool! But don't worry I won't say a word about you. Do you have any special powers or anything?"

"No, they don't," I replied.

"Ah, such a shame," he said. "Now, what do I do first?"

Needless to say, training with Ben was a blast, and the guys really learned to like him, too. As for me, I was glad I had decided to learn ninjitsu with Leo. It was bringing us closer as friends, and though Ben often teased me about it being more than that, I vehemently denied such allegations. There was no way I was in love with Leonardo Hamato, and I intended to keep it that way.

A/N: So, what did you think of this chapter? I hope it was okay. Feel free to leave a review after you have finished reading. You may also feel free to request prompts, and I'll be glad to do them for you. Have a shelltastic day.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Christmas Surprise

A/N: I know it's been a little while for this fic, but I had the inspiration to write this due to the holidays. I really hope that all of you are having a good holiday season and that you'll enjoy this chapter. Sorry I couldn't get it up sooner but I was busy.

Disclaimer: See chapter one

I sighed as I hung up my Christmas ornaments on my tree. Holidays were often hard for me not only because of my dad not being here but David being gone as well. He was serving in the military in Iraq and wasn't able to come home. I felt bad about that because Christmas was always a special time for all of us. Now, it just felt empty without David. Sure, I could talk to him on the computer, but it wasn't the same as having him here.

As if on cue, my computer made a noise, indicating that David was on. I hurried over and wiggled my mouse to wake my computer up and activated my webcam.

"Hey, sis, how's it going?" David asked.

"Okay," I replied. "You?"

"Pretty good," he answered. "Are you decorating your tree?"

"Yeah, I just finished up," I told him. "Are you doing that, too?"

"Yep, we have a small tree though," he said. "It's not very big. I bet yours is fantastic though."

I laughed. "Not really," I responded. "It's pretty small actually." I sighed. "I wish you could come home for Christmas."

"Me, too," David agreed. "It sucks not being in New York this year. But, hey, this is the life I chose, so I have to deal with it, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, you do," I said to him. "I just wish you had chosen a career that kept you close to home."

"I know, Aub, but I had to do this," David reminded me. "You know how it was when Dad died. I just had to join and get rid of the assholes that did this to him. And now that we have, we can rest easier."

I wasn't so sure about that. Sure, bin Laden was gone, but there were others that would take his place. No matter what anyone said, terrorism would never die. We'd always have to worry about it and be cautious no matter what. However, I didn't want to fight with David about that. Now wasn't the time.

"So, how's Ben doing?" David asked me.

"Great," I replied. "We're having a great time catching bad guys."

David laughed. "I bet you two are raising hell, aren't you?" he asked me.

I laughed, too. "Yep, we sure are," I said.

"And how's Greg?"

"I haven't spoken to him," I said. "He's coming for Christmas though. I'll tell him you said hi."

"You do that," David said. "I hope Mom's holding up okay."

"She's doing the best she can," I replied. "You know she misses you though."

"I know that," David said with a sigh. "I miss her, too. But I'm sure she'll send out a care package like she always does." He paused as he heard something in the background. "Look, I gotta go," he said. "The guys want to get together for drinks. I'll talk to you later, sis. Merry Christmas."

"You too, bro," I said as my heart sank. I hated when he had to leave, but I knew he had no choice. It was what he did for a living. I turned off the computer and continued to decorate the house for the holiday. I truly wasn't into the holidays like most people were, but I still tried to decorate just to have some semblance of what it used to be for me. Holidays were so much fun when I was a kid, but now things had changed. The family was apart more and more, and it just wasn't right.

"Need any help?" a voice asked. I turned to see Leo framed in the window. He always stopped by once every night to check on me.

"No, I'm good," I replied. "Just finishing up. But I'm glad you stopped by."

"I came to invite you to our Christmas celebration," he said. "We have one every year."

"I'd like to, but I'm having Christmas with my mom and brothers," I answered. "But maybe I can stop by later."

"Hey, come when you can," he said. "And if you can't make it then, you can always come another time. We don't mind celebrating more than once."

I smiled at that. "That's cool," I said. "I'll be sure to stop by when I can." I had a sad look on my face, and I think he could see that.

"Are you okay, Aubree?" he asked me.

"I'm fine," I answered. "I'm just sad that David won't be here again. We always had such fun on Christmas."

"Well, I'm sure he'll be thinking of you just like you'll be thinking of him," Leo reassured me. "I heard on the news that the President is going to be pulling troops from Iraq. Maybe he'll come home to you."

"I heard that, too, but I'm not getting my hopes up," I said bitterly. "You know how politicians are. They just make empty promises they can't keep."

Leo didn't respond to that. Instead he changed the subject so I wouldn't feel upset anymore. I was grateful to just have him there. At least he was a source of comfort in all of my chaos that was my life. He didn't stay long but he did promise that everything would be okay. I thanked him for the encouragement and got ready for bed. I just wasn't as optimistic as he was about things. Maybe it was just the way things happened to me or whatever. I just never got my hopes up anymore.

22222

Christmas Eve was now upon me. I got ready for the day and headed to my mother's house, carrying my famous dip I often made for chips as well as the presents I had gotten for the family. Mom greeted me and gave me a big hug. Ben was also there as was Greg. Only David and Dad were missing, and I knew that out of the two of them, one wasn't ever coming back. I shook that thought off and entered the house, setting down what I had brought. The tree looked as good as it ever did, filled with ornaments and beautiful lights.

"Dinner will be ready soon," Mom said. "Just make yourselves at home."

I sat with Ben and Greg as they watched the pregame show on Fox before the game. The Giants were supposed to take on the Jets soon, and I was rooting for the Jets. I just didn't like Eli Manning as much as I liked his brother, Peyton. Eli was just too arrogant for my tastes. As we watched the pregame and listened to Frank Caliendo announce his picks while imitating John Madden, the doorbell rang.

"Oh, that must be the special guest I was bringing," Mom said. "Aubree, will you answer the door?"

Special guest? I wondered. Who could it be? I hurried to the door and opened it. Then I let out a shocked gasp. There was David dressed in his military uniform, a smile on his face.

"Surprise!" he said. "Happy to see me?"

"David!" I gasped. "You're home!" I ran into his arms and began to cry. He held me and stroked my hair. It felt so good to hug him. I just couldn't believe it was real. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming home?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise," he replied. "Mom knew, but she didn't want me to tell you guys."

I laughed. "You sneaky son of a bitch," I teased. "You were always one for playing jokes on us."

"Yeah, I sure was," he said. "Can I come in?"

"Oh, of course," I said, stepping aside. "I didn't get you a gift though."

"That's okay," he said. "Being here is a gift all its own."

Ben and Greg were surprised to see David too, but that wore off as they all gave hugs. Then we all settled down to watch the game until Mom called us in for dinner. David led the saying of grace before we ate, and I actually participated this time. Normally, I didn't but I figured it was a special occasion. During dinner David told us stories about his time overseas, and we all filled him in on what was going on here. Greg told us about his latest movie he was directing and asked us all to see it. We promised we would.

Then we opened presents. I received quite a few good gifts including some clothes, perfume, bath items, and even a Kindle. David hadn't given us gifts, but we didn't care about that. We also got stockings just like before filled with candy. It made me feel like I was a little kid again. We talked about past Christmas celebrations and remembered about all the adventures we had.

Mom decided to go to the evening mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, and we all went too. Even though I didn't practice religion anymore or believe in any of it, it was still nice to spend time with my family, which is why I decided to go. Mom was pleased by that, but I told her that it didn't change my views on anything. She understood that and just said that it meant a lot for her that I went anyway for the sake of family.

"So, David, when are you going back to Fort Bragg?" I asked him.

"After New Year's," he said. "I was planning on staying with Mom for a bit and then maybe hanging out with you and Ben for a few days. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine," I replied. "I'm going to a Christmas celebration tomorrow with some friends, but you can always come by afterward. It shouldn't take long." I really wanted David to meet the Turtles, but I knew it was too risky. I promised that one day, I would introduce the Turtles to him and see how he took to them.

I said goodbye to him and promised to see him the next day. I was so glad to have my brother home and was so glad that he'd surprised me. It was just a wonderful Christmas surprise.

22222

The next day, I hung out with the Turtles and gave them and Splinter their gifts. I was disappointed that I hadn't been able to hang out with them the day before when all of their friends showed up, but they didn't mind. They knew how much family meant to me, and they were happy to learn that David was back. They gave me presents too, which was very nice of all of them. It was just a happy day all around.

After I hung out with the guys, I went back to my apartment and hung out with David and Ben. We had a blast playing the Wii and seeing who could win a Royal Rumble match on the newest WWE game. David beat us, which wasn't surprising. It was just a great day for me. I got to hang out with my friends and my family. Having David come home was the best present I could ask for and definitely something I would remember for a long time.

David spent time with us often during that week until he had to return to Fort Bragg. He promised to e-mail us and call us as much as possible and even promised to visit again once he was able to. He said he wasn't sure if he'd have to go overseas again but he hoped he wouldn't. After he left, I still felt a hole in my heart, but it wasn't as big as before. I think it was because I knew that he was still here and not where he could get killed. That brought me some comfort knowing that he wasn't as far away as he'd been before. I just hoped he'd never have to leave again, but sometimes it was unpredictable. Still, I knew that I would cherish the times he was here and never take them for granted.

People celebrate Christmas for different reasons. My reason is my family, and this Christmas was a testament to that fact. Our family was partly whole again, and even though Dad couldn't be there with us, he was in our hearts all the time. Maybe he was reincarnated in another body and was still out there. I liked to think of that and thought it would be a good thing if he was. Maybe he would come back to us one day when we least expected it. But for now, I would celebrate the ones I did have with me and be thankful that I had them in my life. That was all I could do. Mariah Carey had it right when she said that she only wanted the one she loved for Christmas. I had asked for that, too, and had gotten my wish. Hopefully, the New Year would bring more happiness and joy to my life as well as my family and friends.

A/N: Yay. My bunny has been written! I had been thinking about this for a long time but never got the chance to write it. I'm glad I did now. Feel free to leave a review after you've finished reading. I hope that you have a shelltastic holiday season wherever you are. And may the New Year bring you joy and happiness. I might write a New Year's prompt, too, so look out for that probably sometime this week if I can do it.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Stupid Groundhog

A/N: Hey, I know it's been a while since I updated this story, but I decided to update it now. I was originally going to have this chapter be a New Year's chapter, but I changed my mind and am instead making it about Groundhog Day. Why? Because this day happens to be Aubree's birthday (as well as my own), and she has some strong feelings about Groundhog Day. So, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

Another birthday is here. When I was younger I used to love my birthday. We'd have parties, and I'd invite all my friends over to have some fun. It would just be a special day, and everyone would give me presents and sing "Happy Birthday" to me (though David often changed the lyrics, saying that I lived in a zoo and looked and smelled like a monkey. Usually, Dad would smack him a good one, so he never tried it again after a few times). But as I've gotten older, birthdays haven't been as much fun for me. From age eighteen onward, I've often felt a hole inside when my birthdays have hit. I think it's not only because of Dad's death but also David being gone as well as Greg. To me, birthdays should be a time for family, and now it just doesn't happen as much.

Of course, now I've got a second family who is adamant that I should celebrate it with them since I can't celebrate it with my full family. How can I refuse that? Luckily, I don't have the night shift, so we can celebrate at night.

Leo comes up to my apartment after work and blindfolds me with one of his spare masks. It reminds me of when I first met them and had to wear a blindfold while Leo escorted me out of the Lair and to my home.

"Leo, why do you have to blindfold me?" I ask.

"Because Mikey wants you to be surprised when you come down," Leo responds.

I sigh and let Leo lead me out of my apartment and to the Lair. Once I'm in their home, Leo takes off my blindfold, and everyone yells, "Surprise! Happy Birthday, Aubree!"

I smile to see all of them gathered there: Mikey, Don, Raph, Master Splinter, April, Casey, Angel, and even Usagi. I'm even more surprised to see that Gen isn't present, though I'm actually quite glad about that. I've never been fond of the bounty hunter, which is why Leo probably advised Usagi not to bring him. Oh, and the Daimyo and his son are present, too. I can't believe I forgot about them.

"The Ancient One couldn't make it, but he sends his regards as do the rest of the Tribunal," Leo tells me.

"Oh, okay," I say. "I'll have to write them and thank them."

"Well, now that you're here, we can start dinner," April says. "We all made it ourselves."

"Let me help," I offer, but April steers me away from the kitchen.

"Oh, no, you're the guest of honor," she protests. "You have no work detail tonight. Just sit and enjoy."

I smile and do as she says. When all of the food is brought in, we all dig in. The meal consists of chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, a salad, and rolls. I take whatever suits my fancy and begin to eat.

"So, I guess we're having six more weeks of winter this year," Don says. "Apparently, Pauxatawnee Phil saw his shadow."

I roll my eyes. "You know, I'm really getting sick of that damn groundhog seeing his shadow," I grumble. "I don't know who named him Phil, but he seriously needs to grow a set if he can't handle seeing his shadow."

"Hey, maybe he's secretly a girl," Mikey muses. "I mean, maybe they think he's a boy, and he's really a girl."

"Hey, boys can be scared, too," Raph insists. "I mean, look at you, Mikey. You're a guy, and yet you scream like a girl."

"Hey, I resent that remark!" Mikey protests, looking offended.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Well, he does have a point, Mikey," I reply.

"Thanks a lot, Aub," Mikey grumbles.

"Your American customs are very intriguing," Usagi remarks. "Why should there be six more weeks of winter?"

"Well, if the groundhog sees his shadow, he runs back into his den, which means we'll have six more weeks of winter," I explain. "If he doesn't, then he comes out, and that means we'll have an early spring."

"Ah, I see," Usagi says. "Is it always that accurate?"

"Well, not always," Don replies. "Sometimes a long winter is predicted and it ends up being spring early. It's all just a fanciful little legend that is all in good fun. It's not always true."

"Trust me, Usagi, I never understood it either," I tell him.

"So, what time were you born, Miss Hennigan?" Splinter asks me.

"Well, I was born at approximately two twenty-two PM," I answer.

"Whoa, that's pretty weird," Mikey remarks and begins humming the Twilight Zone theme.

"Yeah, well last year was even more special since I turned twenty-two," I tell them. "This year I unfortunately turn twenty-three. Not as exciting, you know."

"Well, I understand your significance in your time of birth," Splinter replies. "However, you should never feel as though your birthday is not special, Miss Hennigan. You must remember that you have friends who care about you as well as family."

"Yeah, I know," I answer. "But it's not the same without Dad or my brothers. Dad would always make my birthday special. When I was younger, he would make me breakfast in bed and even give me birthday spankings. He even did it when I grew older at seventeen." Tears filled my eyes as I recalled that that was the last birthday he'd ever celebrated with me. "I'm sure if he were alive now, he'd still spank me for fun. Then after he was done, he'd kiss my forehead and say, 'Happy birthday, Annie. I'm so glad you were born this day.' It was just so sweet of him."

"Did the spankings hurt?" Mikey inquires.

I shake my head. "No, they never hurt one bit," I reply. "Didn't your dad ever give you birthday spankings?"

Mikey shakes his head. "No, he only gave us real spankings when we were bad," he answers.

"Oh, I see," I say.

Leo puts a hand on my shoulder. "We're really sorry your dad isn't here, Aubree," he says softly. "I'm sure he would have loved us. But just remember that he's always in your heart forever."

"I know," I whisper softly.

"And, hey, at least Ben is still around to celebrate," Mikey chimes in.

"Yeah, I can't stay long because he's taking me to a bar to celebrate along with some co-workers," I remember.

"Then perhaps we should administer the presents," Splinter suggests.

Mikey cheers at that and leads me to the table where the presents are piled. I sit in a chair, and Mikey hands me gifts one by one. I read the cards and open each of the gifts, smiling at each one. After all of the gifts are opened and I have thanked everyone, April carries in the chocolate cake with Oreos on top and twenty-three candles. Everyone sings "Happy Birthday" to me (Mikey sings the David version, which earns him a smack on the head from Splinter), and I make a wish and blow out the candles. Everyone claps, and then I cut the cake as is tradition.

"Man, this is some good cake," Mikey comments with his mouth stuffed full of it.

"Michelangelo, remember your manners," Splinter chastises. "We are in the presence of a lady."

Mikey gulps his cake down and says, "Sorry, Sensei. Sorry, Aubree."

"That's okay, Mikey," I say. "You did a good job on this cake. It really is good." It does taste good. We even have ice cream and can build our own sundaes. I have the Aubree Chocolate Special which consists of M&M's, Hershey's Kisses, Oreo cookie pieces, brownie pieces, and chocolate syrup.

After dessert is over, I say goodbye to everyone and get ready to leave. They help me carry my presents to the Battle Shell so that I can take them home before I head to the bar to celebrate with Ben and my fellow cops. Leo drives me home, and I promise to see some of the guests another time. Usagi states that he hopes I'll come to the Battle Nexus Tournament again, and I tell him that I'll try.

"So what did you think of your birthday?" Leo asks me.

"It was great," I answer. "It's the first time since Dad died that I've felt like my birthday was worth celebrating."

Leo looks sympathetically at me. "It must be so hard for you even now," he muses softly. "I couldn't imagine what would happen if I didn't have Splinter here. I'd probably go crazy."

"No, you'd grieve and then take care of your brothers," I correct him. "You would know that Splinter would still want you to take care of them like the brother you are."

Leo nods. "I guess you're right," he sighs. "I can't turn my back on them no matter what. It's just not in me to do that. I just hope that when the time comes I'll be ready to face it."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "No one's every ready to lose a parent," I tell him. "But at the end of the day, you learn to move on and accept it. It'll always hurt no matter what, but you take comfort in the fact that they'd want you to move on and continue with your life."

Leo looks at me as though he can't believe what I've said. "You're a very wise person, Aubree Hennigan," he remarks.

"Why, thank you, Hamato Leonardo," I respond. "It comes with age, I guess."

He laughs at that and helps me carry my presents into my home. Then he gives me a kiss goodnight and whispers, "Happy Birthday, Annie. I'm so glad you were born this day." It brings tears to my eyes when he says that, and it's almost as if I can see my father reflected in his eyes. I kiss him again and tell him I love him. Then after I watch him leave, I head to my own car and drive to Bud's Bar where my brother and co-workers are waiting.

I have even more fun with my brother and my co-workers, though I don't drink since I'm driving. Ben tells them stories of past birthdays and my co-workers share memories of me from when I was training in the Police Academy. I laugh at the stories and exchange jokes with everyone. We even play Truth or Dare and Beer Pong, though I substitute beer with my Coke.

As I head home after the party, I can't help but reflect on my day and how fun it's been. When I get home, I have messages from Mom, Greg, and David all wishing me a happy birthday. I call them back and thank them, even though I have to leave a message on David's phone. Then I put my pajamas on, put in the new Lady Gaga CD Mikey gave me, and listen to it for a little while before going to bed.

Suddenly, my birthday doesn't seem so bad anymore now that I have loved ones to share it with.

A/N: I loved writing this chapter. I decided to make Aubree's birthday the same as mine because I just wanted to share something with her. The feelings she has about Groundhog Day and her birthday in general are things I've felt myself, even though I haven't suffered the loss of a father like she has. But even though I don't expect anything on my birthday, I still like the fact that I was born on a unique day. Aubree's time of birth is also mine, and I think it's pretty cool. I was shocked when Mom told me what time I was born. Anyway, I like to reflect about all I've done since being born. From graduating high school and college to meeting my wonderful boyfriend to even meeting some of you guys here at FF and beyond. I can't tell you how happy I am to know all of you even if it's not on a personal level. I feel like you guys are my family as well, and I'm happy that I've gotten to know some of you. You guys have truly been amazing. I know I've had some ups and downs in my life, but the good things that have happened more than make up for it, especially me being able to share my writing talents with all of you. So, I'll end this long note by asking you to please leave a review as a birthday gift. It would me a lot to me. And, as always, have a shelltastic day.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Pest Control

A/N: Egads! It's been a while since I've updated this little story. This little plot bunny is inspired by something that happened to us months ago. I won't spoil it for you because I want you guys to read the story to find out. I'll try not to keep this story delayed like this again, but I can't make any promises. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. It really means a lot to me.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are the property of Nickelodeon. Aubree Hennigan and all of her problems belong to me.

Pests are so hard to get rid of.

I'm not just talking about the kind who crawl into your house and invade your home (though those types of pests are very annoying).

I'm also talking about a certain Turtle who loves to play pranks.

I had awoken after feeling a tickling sensation on my arm. At first I thought I was being paranoid after having to deal with the ants who had invaded my home, but the sensation wouldn't go away. So, I opened my eyes to find little ants crawling on my arm, and I did what any normal girl would do after finding that ants were crawling on her.

I screamed really loudly.

My scream alerted Leo and Don because they burst into my room with their weapons drawn. The sight would've made me laugh if I hadn't been scared shitless because of the bugs.

"What's going on, Aubree?" Leo demanded. He looked around the guest room, trying to see if any Foot Ninjas had invaded.

"There are ANTS on my arm!" I shouted. "Why the hell are their ants in the Lair? I thought you didn't have any bugs here."

"We don't," Don assured me. "I made sure to check."

Suddenly, there was a burst of laughter from my closet. Growling, I picked up my nightstick (I was allowed to carry one as a cop, though I didn't use it much) and advanced toward the closet in question. I opened the door to find Mikey and Raph howling with laughter. Mikey was holding a remote control like you would have for cars.

"Man, those remote control bugs really do work," he said to Raph. "We got Aubree good."

I cleared my throat to indicate I was there, and the two Turtles looked up guiltily.

"Oh, uh, hey, Aubree," Mikey said meekly. "How're you doin'?"

I growled and brandished my nightstick. "How do you THINK I'm doing, Michelangelo?" I said in my deadliest voice. "I've been staying down here while an exterminator takes care of the ants in my apartment, and what do I find when I wake up? Ants crawling on my arm. And now I find out that these ants are toys and that you did this as a prank to fool me into thinking you guys had ants in the Lair. And now do you know what I want to do to you, Mikey? I want to beat you to a pulp for thinking up this little prank. I'm going to give you the count of three to leave this closet, and if you don't leave by the time I'm done, you're going to feel my wrath."

"Hey, Aub, calm down," Raph pleaded. "It wasn't Mikey's fault. I dared him to do it."

I turned to the red-clad Turtle. "Well, just for that, you're going to feel my wrath, too." I got ready to hit him with the nightstick until Leo blocked my way.

"Aubree, don't!" he cried.

"What the hell, Leo?" I snapped. "These two pulled a really horrible prank on me, and you're going to stick up for them?"

"No, but I think we can settle this without violence," he answered.

I rolled my eyes. "Says the ninja who beats up the Foot and Purple Dragons on a regular basis," I snorted.

"What is going on here?" a voice demanded. We all turned to see Splinter framed in the doorway, his tail lashing.

"Mikey and Raph decided to play a joke on me," I told him. "They used remote control bugs to make me think there were ants in my room."

"I see," Splinter mused. "And you were going to solve the problem by hitting them with your nightstick?"

"I told her it wasn't a good idea, Sensei," Leo piped up.

Splinter gave me a stern look. "I know that I have trained my sons to be ninjas, but I have always emphasized that violence is never the answer when solving problems amongst themselves. This is true for you as well, Miss Hennigan. I know that you are angry, but I do not believe that hitting them will do them any good."

I lowered my nightstick and hung my head. "Sorry, Master Splinter," I apologized. "I guess I wasn't thinking."

"That is all right," Splinter replied. "Michelangelo, Raphael, as punishment for pranking Miss Hennigan, you are to do fifty flips. You will also clean the dojo after every practice for a month and write an essay on why it is not good manners to play jokes on guests. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sensei," the two Turtles replied, bowing to him.

"Good," he said. "Now, I believe you have something to say to Miss Hennigan as well."

"Sorry, Aubree," Mikey said meekly.

"Yeah, sorry about that, Aub," Raph added.

"That's okay," I said. "Just don't do it again." I moved aside to let them through, and as they were passing me, I gave them two whacks with my nightstick on their rear ends.

"Ouch!" Mikey yelped.

"Hey, what was that for?" Raph snapped.

"I had to get you back some way," I replied. "And I figured since I couldn't beat you within an inch of your life, I'd give you a good spanking for being the naughty Turtles that you are."

Mikey and Raph both glared at me while rubbing their backsides and left the room. Don and Leo grinned at me but wisely said nothing. I thought I heard a chuckle that sounded a lot like Splinter's and imagined that he was amused by his son's punishment.

I smiled to myself. I may not have been able to get rid of the ants at my apartment, but I was able to show two other pests who was boss.

A/N: So, that's the end of that chapter. What did you think? I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but I'll have it up when I think of it. And don't forget, I also take requests, so if you want to request something, let me know, and I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.


End file.
